Reading-stand.



No. 639,857. Patented Has. 26, I899.

w. F. LOAN.

READING STAND.

(App cation filed. Jan. 23. 1899.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

No. 639,857. Patented Dec. 26, I899. 4 4 w. F. LOAN.

READING STAND. (Application filed Jan. 23, 1899.) (No Model.) 2Sheets-Sheet 2.

1H: Nowms PETERS ca. PHDTGLITNQ. wnsm-lsmn, n. c,

QNITED STATES PATENT WILLIAM F. LOAN, on BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

READING-STAND.

s'm'cmamea forinihg part of Letters Patent No. 639,857, dated December26, 1899.

Application filed January 23, 1899. Serial No. 703 ,010- (N 0 model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM F. LOAN, of Boston, county of Suffolk, andState of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Reading-Stands,of which the following description, in connection with the accompanyin gdrawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representinglike parts.

My invention is a stand or rest especially intended for the use ofartists, students, and the like where itis desired to support aplurality of books, sketches, or articles in convenient position forreference and use.

In carrying out my invention I provide a suitable base of any convenientkind, and on this I mount a table having means for carrying two or morebooks or articles or series thereof capable of disposition at variousangles to each other and the whole table being provided with means forbody adjustment to different angles, and behind this table I arrange anadjustable lamp-support in position to hold a students lamp, forinstance, so as to give the best light effects for the purpose.

The details of construction of myinvention will be more particularlypointed out in the course of the following description, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a preferredembodiment of my invention, and the latter will be more particularlydefined in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents my invention in side elevation,parts being broken away for clearness of illustration. Fig. 2 is atransverse horizontal sectional view on the line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3shows the upper part thereof in rear elevation. Fig. 4 represents inside elevation a modified form of support. Fig. 5 is a sectional view onthe line 5, Fig. 6, showing the upper end of the standard in rearelevation. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 5,broken away to exhibit the internal construction.

Any suitable base may be employed in connection with my invention, Fig.1 showing a base a, such as is commonly used in portable music-stands,and Fig. 4 showing a base a in the form of a clamp for attachment to atable or convenient ledge.

The standard I) is shown as a rod sliding in the base and carrying asleeve or stop 1), provided with a set-screw b which operates to fix theapparatus in desired adjustment. At its upper end the standard carries abracket 0, provided on its under part with an ear c, pivoted on a bolt 0herein shown as threaded and having an Operating-handle 0 by means ofwhich the bracket 0 may be clamped rigidly in any adjustment desired.Preferably,

also, the ear 0' is notched, as indicated at 0 to receive the tooth of adog 0 held by a spring 0 normally in looking engagement with thebracket.

A table 61 is supported onthe bracket 0, this table comprising aplurality of parts, herein shown as two in numbera lower part or memberd, fixed rigidly on the bracket 0, and an upper member (1 hinged to thepart d at d and angularly adjustable relatively thereto by means of anadjusting hand-screw c operating in an arm 0 of the bracket 0 against awear-plate d of the table. The lower edge of the table is provided witha stationary flange or rest 01 and the upper member 61 0f the table hasa movable rest 01 which constitutes an important novelty of myinvention, this rest extending across the table, as indicated in dottedlines in Fig. 3, and being provided at its opposite ends with ahook-like plate d, which extends upwardly, as shown in Fig. 1, beingslotted longitudinally at d to fit over a thumb-screw (1 which clampsthe same in any position required. The rest d is at the lower ends ofthe plates 61 and the construction being such as is clearly shown inFig. 1 it follows thatthis rest can be adjusted up or down along theslot (2 and may be turned into any angular position on the screws 61 aspivots, so that it may be turned, if desired, at a very acute angle tothe member d of the table, as would be desirable, for instance, inholding a sheet of music or a pattern or copy.

Moreover, the plates being hook-like permit of the rest being quicklytaken Off entirely from the table.

Behind the table I secure a lamp-support 6, carried by an arm e,provided with a perforated ear e sliding on the standard I), and a splitear a also sliding on and embracing said standard, said ear beingclamped by a thumbscrew 6 into pinching engagement with the standard forholding the lamp-support at any height required, according to the workbeing done on the table. This lamp-support. cooperates with the table tocast a mellow light on the drawings or other work being done and, asshown in the drawings, is of a construction and style adapted to supporta usual students lamp, and it will therefore be understood that thesize, height, and construction of this lamp-support will vary accordingto the kind of lamp itis intended to use with it. i

In Fig. 4 the standard instead of being straight, as shown at b in Fig.1, is bent, as indicated at f, so as to cooperate with the specialholding-clamp ct before described.

Having explained the constructional details of my invention, I will nowset forth the operation and a few advantages thereof.

If an artist is using my improved stand, he first adjusts the standardI) on the base a by loosening the hand-screw b and raising and loweringthe standard to suit his exact requirem ents,and then loosens the clampc and depresses the dog 0 whereupon the table is tilted as a whole tothe exact angle required for the work and desired by the artist.Thereupon he releases the dog 0, which instantly locks the table inposition. Itwill be understood that either the dog or-the clamp 0 alonewill hold the table as required; but it is desirable, especially whenusing the device in connection with a lamp, that there should be nopossibility of accidental tipping of the table, and therefore I preferto employ these two devices togethely'whereby an absolute, positive, andcertain locking of the parts is insured. lhe table having been adjustedat the general angle required, the lamp may be placed on the support a,and then the upper part (1 of the table will be adjusted by means of thethumb-screw c ,so as to bring the sketch, painting, or other work whichthe artist has in hand at the precise angle for the best light and forproper observation as the work progrosses on the lower part 61 of thetable. If the work being copied is in a large volume or portfolio,itwill be necessary to adjust the rest (1 in substantially the positionshown in Fig. 1; but if the work being copied is a single sheet or avery thin book then it would be desirable to turn the rest (Z backalmost against the member (Z of the table, thereby holding the copy orstudy firmly in position.

For some purposes it will be desirable to have the members ($61 ofthe'table extending out flat in one and the same plane, and this isreadily accomplished by turning back the screw 0 It will also beunderstood that the table may, if desired, be absolutelyhorizontal foruse, for example, as a sick-table or for the purposes of an ordinarytable.

Various other advantages of my invention and capabilities of use thereofwill be apparent without further description.

I do not intend to limit myself to all the details of constructionherein shown, inasmuch as they may be variously modified within thespirit and scope of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. In a device of the kind described, a standard, a bracket pivotedthereon, a table carried by said bracket, said bracket having an earadjacent its pivot, notches in said ear, a dog carried by said standard,a spring normally holding said. dog in. engagement. with said notches,and a clamp adjacent said dog for locking said bracket in anyadjustment,

substantially as described.

2. In a device of the class specified, a standard, a bracket pivotedthereon, said bracket having an ear adjacent its pivot, notches in saidear, a dog carried by said standard, a E spring normally holding saiddog in engagement with said notches, a clamp adjacent said a dog forlocking said bracket indifferent adj usted positions, and a tableconsisting of two I hinged sections one of which is mounted for langularadjustment relatively to the other, and means for securing said table tosaid .bracket.

3. A device of the class specified, comprisling a standard, a bracketadjustable vertigcally and angularly thereon, a table consist- .ing oftwo sections hinged directly to each other edge to edge, an adjListing-screw carried by the bracket and bearing against the :uppersection of the table, means for positively holding the bracket in itsadjusted positions, a rest fixed to the lower section of the table, asecond rest connected with the upper section of the table and includingtwo plates fitting against the outer edges of said upper section andhaving open slots andset-screws extending through said slots andintotheupper section of thetablo and adapted to engage the plates and hold thesame in different adjusted positions.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM F. LOAN.

it nesses:

JAMES M. UnoUrIA'rr, FREDERICK L. EMERY.

